Unexpected Comfort
by xFlowersofDarkx
Summary: The pressure. It may be too much for some, but I feel that I can handle it. I can't afford to show weakness in any shape or form.


**Hello, dear readers! This is my first Persona fanfic I've ever written so I hope it's bearable. In this fanfic, Shinjiro didn't die when he and Ken encountered Takaya.**

* * *

Minato felt an extra surge of energy and he lightly smirked in content as he watched the annoying shadow disintegrate into black blobs where it vanished into nothing. It's because of these stupid _things _that led him and his friends in a bad situation. Heck, the world was involved in this ordeal!

He glared at another batch of incoming shadows as he and his team prepared themselves for another round of combat. The stronger his team were, the better the chances were that they would defeat Nyx. But alas, there was one problem with the training schedule he had in mind. After their quick battle, his attention was soon diverted to the only female present.

"Minato," Yukari, the main healer of the team, called him. "I'm exhausted. Do you mind if I pull back and return to the dorms?"

Despite his irritant yet invisible scowl, he nodded and headed to the nearest access point.

"Thanks. Sorry I won't be of any use." she apologised.

"Don't worry about it. Go home and rest, Yukari."

She left the team with a wave, leaving the blue-haired boy with the two seniors; Akihiko Sanada and Shinjiro Aragaki. "Are you still up for more, Arisato?"

Minato shifted his eyes to the boxing champion of Gekkoukan High. "Of course. Let's go."

The three immediately uncovered the stairs and resumed their training. Each let their minds wander as they absently fought with ease.

Minato wondered what Ryoji was doing at the moment. The leader hadn't seen the other classmate at all since he elaborated on the Fall and burdened them with deciding to either killing the black-haired teen or fighting Nyx while letting Ryoji live. He recalled the feeling of utter shock, but his expression lay beneath his well-constructed mask. As he summoned Surt and used Maragidyne, he began to think about his decision, it was obvious about what it was.

His goal at present, was to train as much as possible and strengthen to his full potential as quickly as possible. Who knows what phenomenal power Nyx could have; he might not have enough power to defeat her. He may have his friends along side him, but a weak leader would only result to their failure. All fingers would be pointed at him because, to put it bluntly, he is the person responsible for whatever consequence occurs. Should the outcome be negative, it greatly affected his mentality as he hated to fail at anything. Everything he did was expected to be perfect, nothing less. A frown slowly formed.

* * *

Akihiko glanced at the frowning leader and unconsciously recalled the different interaction he had with him two weeks ago.

_Flashback..._

_Akihiko swung hs jacket over his shoulder as he pushed the dorm's entrance door open. He had just finished his early morning training and man did he feel refreshed._

_He surveyed the lobby, only to find Minato reading a book with his headphones on. He sauntered towards him and sat across from him. _

_"How's it going?" he greeted._

_"Fine." the younger teen mumbled while turning a page. "How was training?"_

_"It was good."_

_Both men fell quiet, Minato immersed in his book and Akihiko fixing his worn, red boxing gloves._

_"Mochizuki's clarification about the Fall was quite shocking wasn't it?"_

_"Not as bad as deciding to either killing him or not is in our hands." Minato sighed as he stared at the boxing champion. "I've made my decision already. How about you?"_

_"Honestly, I'm not too sure at the moment. I need a bit more time." Akihiko grinned sheepishly, right hand finding its way to the back of his head instinctively._

_"No worries, nothing is rushing you."_

_"Thanks." he lowered his hand and curiosity shone in his eyes. "Let's say you chose to battle Nyx. How would you prepare for it? I doubt you'd need much preparation as you seem unfazed by this whole situation already."_

_The corners of Minato's mouth lowered and his eyes narrowed, directed at nothing in particular and he spoke softly. "Truth be told, I'm not sure if I'm good enough... What are the chances of me beating Nyx?" The grip on his book tightened. "As a leader, I'm not ready for this."_

_Akihiko stared incredulously at him. Of all the things Minato could have said, he had not expected him to say that. _

_"That's ridiculous. You're stronger than you think, Arisato." he blurted out. "Trust me."_

_"...Last time I heard those words, everything ended badly. Save your breath and don't bother telling me lies." Minato sneered as he snapped his book shut and left the building. A shocked Akihiko remained._

That conversation raided his mind when it wasn't very busy. Every time he apologised, Minato shrugged it off, pretending that it was alright. At first, Akihiko couldn't see past the laid-back expression, but now he knew how to read the boy. And from what he had seen, everything was not alright, despite Minato's insistence.

Needless to say, the senior was worried.

"Sanada-senpai!"

A flash of pain creeped its way around his leg. The offending shadow looked pleased and was about to strike again was it not for an axe's strike to its head. The owner of the axe glared at him. "Aki! Don't stand there like an idiot!"

* * *

Shinjiro sighed as he watched the leader finish off the last shadow in the horde. What was Aki thinking about? Was it so important that he'd rather not care for his life? He was about to sigh again until Yamagishi's voice interrupted him.

"I have a bad feeling." she whispered. "It could be Death!"

His eyes widened as he quickly scanned the area for an escape. Fortunately, he spotted a faint green glow near by. "Arisato-!"

Shinjiro froze. The leader had crumpled to the floor and he lay there, motionless. Even the natural rise and fall of his chest was barely noticeable. Minato's mouth was slightly parted, assuring the older teens that the blunette was still breathing.

Chains rattled noisily around the group. That had Shinjiro grab Minato, shoving him over his shoulder as Akihiko snatched for the leader's spear. They made a dash for the access point and Yamagishi wasted no time in teleporting them back to the entrance. Just as they were escaping that now dangerous floor, Shinjiro barely got a glimpse of the infamous Grim Reaper.

"Are you okay? What happened to Minato-kun?" Yamagishi inquired instantly when she lay eyes on the remains of the appointed team.

"We're fine, thanks. Arisato seems to have fainted is all. He should be fine." Akihiko assured. "We better take him home."

Akihiko reached down to pick the unconscious teen up but Shinjiro beat him to it.

"What were you about to do, Aki?" Shinjiro challenged. "If you han't noticed; you're injured."

Akihiko stuttered. "B-But it's only a little scratch!"

"If what you say is true, why is it spilling blood. I swear it's like the fountain in Paulownia mall."

Akihiko quieted and settled in carrying the long, continuously wielded spear. As they sauntered back to the dorms, Shinjiro began to reminisce.

_Flashback..._

_This is just bothersome. Utterly bothersome._

_Shinjiro shoved his bare hands in his pockets as he climbed the stairs to Naganaki Shrine. He found it easier to let his mind wander here in the night, as everybody would be asleep and no one would disturb him. The topic chosen for contemplation for tonight is yesterday's event. He would make his decision tonight and he would hopefully spend the days before the 31st of December not worrying about this whole ordeal. Not like there is anything to worry about. Shinjiro had great confidence in the leader, Minato Arisato. _

_His expression during Ryoji's explanation were similar to his every day blank expressions and his reaction was the complete opposite of everyone's. Shinjiro respected the younger man; as he is too tough for his own good._

_And speak of the devil, there he is on the bench, his eyes closed, head resting on the wall behind him and facing upwards while his foot lightly tapped to whatever song he was listening to on his mp3 player. Shinjiro stood there watching the teen, who seemed to have fallen into some deep thinking processes. _

_The sight was mesmerizing...not that he'd tell anyone._

_He watched as the blue haired teen seemed aware of his presence. His eyes snapped open only to close halfway as they made quick eye contact. _

_"Hey." Shinjiro called apathetically._

_"Hey." Minato replied. "Care to join me?"_

_He heard an approved 'hmm' as he felt the older teen's weight beside him. The still silence returned as both men lost themselves in their own thoughts. In both cases, they had most of their focus on their decision as well as the consequences. They ignored each other and thought little of what the chances were of this happening. _

_"What do you think about all this?" Shinjiro asked, attempting a conversation and to see if their leader was in any way troubled._

_"Honestly, I find this decision, an easy one. I'm thinking about the consequences of that decision."_

_"And what have you concluded?"_

_"...That I'm too weak at present and that I should train longer every night in Tartarus." Minato frowned. "Have you come up with a decision yet?"_

_"I think I have." he nodded slightly. "Besides, I see this as an opportunity to atone for my sins."_

_Another silence fell and Shinjiro wondered if Minato was in any way offended with Junpei's outburst, accusing him for everything. But here he was, conversing with the enigma that was merely two years younger than him. Except, this very enigma had confessed of his supposed weakness and vowed to train himself senseless for who knows how long. He questioned Minato's self-esteem and if he was affected by Junpei's harsh words._

_"Why do you think you're weak?"_

_"Because it's the truth."_

_The asker scoffed. "That's crap talk at its best."_

_"What?"_

_"Yeah, you heard me. You're not weak. You were chosen to be the leader because of your phenomenal strength, according to your teammates."_

_"I don't need your praises." Minato glared. "Praises are nothing but pity to me."_

_He stood up and shook his blue hair from his eyes. "Why can't people just leave me alone?" He murmured so quietly that Shinjiro nearly didn't catch that._

_Yes, it's official. Minato Arisato is the most toughest puzzle he has ever come across._

Shinjiro slightly grinned when he saw the dorm's unmistakable features in the distance. Just a bit more 'till he could finally get some sleep. Speaking of sleep...

He glanced down at the resting boy in his arms. He had noticed the dark bags under his eyes and a scowl was plastered onto his usually emotionless facial features. He also noted that the boy's weight hasn't hindered his strength at all. The boy was as light as a six-year old child. Would it be weird if he had suddenly interrogated Minato about his eating habits and sleeping schedule as soon as he woke up?

The beanie-wearing male shook his head to himself. Of course that would be weird. He was Shinjiro Aragaki. Not his mother.

They had finally arrived home and Shinjiro was more than relieved to lay the junior on his bed. He stared at the boy for a while and just as he was about to leave, an iron grip tightly clutched his sleeve in an instant. Suspicious eyes followed the hand to the owner, raising an eyebrow all the while. His surprise reverted to the usual indifferent emotion that his personality dominated rather vitally.

The seemingly pained boy was going through a rather harsh nightmare.

"Sorry..." Minato mumbled softly, almost convincing the other teen that the junior was awake. "...More...I'll train...more..."

His sleep talking caused Shinjiro to flinch. What in the world?

Since Minato's grip remained impossible to pry off, Shinjiro simply took a seat on the foot of the occupied bed. Hopefully, he won't experiencing painful kicks any time soon.

"...Weak..." the sleep talk continued. "Pathetic...stupid..."

His quiet mumbles rang through the ears of the lone, awake occupant of the room. Is their leader a perfectionist or something? It seems like he obsessed with all this...training. From what he's gathered within these two _eventful _weeks, their leader had really low self-esteem, negatively affected from lack of sleep and malnourishment.

"Ugh." A distressed grunt followed by an awakening moan.

Shinjiro clicked his tongue as he watched the teen wake up, startled that he was in bed. A bad case of stress had also been added to the disturbing list.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse, like he hadn't had a glass of water for a month.

"You fainted from fatigue. You over worked yourself." Shinjiro grunted in response, masking his concern.

Minato felt weak, too weak. More so than usual that he groaned and panted with the effort of sitting up. His head throbbed and he screwed his eyes shut, focusing on ridding the pain. His head felt light and he was about to collapse again, but strong arms steadied him.

"Easy there." Shinjiro's voice held a strange comforting tone. "Don't push yourself."

A single, blue eye looked up at the serious man supporting him. A single question passed his striken mind. He couldn't help but voice it. "Why?"

" 'Why,' What?"

"Why are you here? Don't take this the wrong way, but you're the last person that I can think of to ever help me in this dorm, in this particular situation."

"Mitsuru would have my head if I didn't follow her orders. Apparently, I'm the only one who is not occupied nor exhausted now." Shinjro lied, averting his gaze to the wall behind Minato's head.

"..."

The silence signaled Shinjiro that the boy has fallen asleep again. He gently laid the limp body on the bed, unconsciously brushing a hand over his blue, messy strands covering his right eye.

He felt his cheeks burn a little when he lied to Minato. He didn't know why he felt flustered when he recalled the younger teen desperately gripping his wrist. Yes, the boy was asleep and yes, he was in a nightmare, but those reasons alone didn't settle his nerves. He knew that his voice couldn't be trusted in fear that he would stumble over his words.

With a last glance at the sleeping persona-user, he left the bedroom quietly yet reluctantly.

* * *

**I hope you had enjoyed this first chapter, please review!**

**Have a Happy New Year everyone!**


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